Ancients
by thedinoknowsall
Summary: One-shot, G1 with slight TF:P influences. Any doubts can be erased with a good story from an old mech.


Authors Note: This bunny jumped because I had 'Secrets' by OneRepublic stuck in my head. I then spent typing it up for two hours on my phone in an email to myself because I was supposed to be asleep so I couldn't get my computer. Shhhh...

If you see any mistakes, blame my phone because I couldn't do the on the spot editing that I normally do. It's normally along the lines of "Oh look, I forgot to cap that last sentence, I'll go do that." but on my phone it's like "Nooo, so many grammar/spelling mistakes I cant fix!"

And this is my kind of "I'm not dead. Hooray!" story. Life's crazy and this is the first bunny that's bitten in a while. I'm hoping in February I'll get more because Transformers: Prime will be in full swing. I'm so excited!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Transformers. I'd get Alpha Trion to make a device to prevent plot bunnies from jumping just as I was about to fall asleep!

* * *

"Tell me what you want from me!" The young bot shouted. His powerful newly rebuilt body easily tore through some of the scattered lab equipment, tossing bits and pieces all around he lab. In the center standing impassively was an old mech. His plating was an odd magenta, his optics were wary with unimaginable age. He almost looked as if he had what organics called a beard and mustache and his face was a carefully controlled neutral expression. Not once did he flinch as delicate and expensive equipment was thrown haphazardly around the room, clattering against the walls and just generally making a racket.

As another berth was overturned the old mech spoke, "You must first tell me what you wish to hear."

"What the frag is that supposed to mean?" the red and blue mech practically screeched, kicking the overturned berth for good measure. "I ask you a question and you answer me in riddles! Riddles!"

The berth got abused even more as the pede continues to kick and kick, frustration fueling the violence. The red and blue mech got absorbed in the meaningless task, letting his frustration rule him in the hopes that with the destruction of this inanimate object will rid him of the utter helplessness that threatens to overcome his spark. It doesn't seem to work, only leaving him with a dented pede and a confused processor. The young mech shutters his optics and shunts out a quick burst of air in the desperate hope that it will help with the confusion.

Why? Why him? What made him any better than the next bot?

Why was this old mech claiming that he was something he couldn't be?

He would never be a-a...

"There has to be something you're not telling me, something... This has to be a joke! I cant do this! I'm useless, one of the lower castes! I can't have this-this..."

A touch on his shoulder. "I have many secrets, young one. And maybe one day I'll give them away. But not now.

"Trust me young one, you are meant for this. It would not have accepted you otherwise. It may be mysterious even to it's bearers, but never in all of history has it been wrong."

"It is wrong now! Look at me! A dock worker who got lucky, thats all I am! I can't fight this war, can't be the mech you need, that all those bots out there need!"

A long silence stretched after those angry words. They seemed to hang in the air between the trembling young bot and the elder making in the tension in the lab grow. When the young one dared to glance back at the elder his optics were shuttered in deep thought.

The silence continued to lengthen and the young bot began to shift uneasily fearing that he had passed some unseeable, unspoken line.

Then the old mech began to speak in a warm but quiet voice, "I met an amazing mech once. He changed my life, showed me more compassion and kindness than no one else had up to that point. He was wise seemingly beyond his years and he taught me to be the best mech I could be. He helped so many others than just me, helped hundreds of other mechs and femmes. He led us into freedom, into our first taste of true happiness," the old mech smiled as if remembering some of the most amazing parts of his life, "he gave us a whole new world, a whole new perspective. And one day he disappeared.

"At first we despaired. What were we to do without this wonderful mech leading us? A few mechs tried and failed to replace the leader that left. But none of them could do it.

"We fell into chaos and nearly all the first leader had given us was lost. I myself went into hiding as war broke out among us, hiding from the crumbling society.

"That is when I saw the original leader again.

"He looked just as he did when I first met him, though it had been vorns since then and I had changed drastically. He looked at me with sad optics as I explained what had happened to the He told me he couldn't. Not anymore.

"I felt as though all hope was lost.

"When I told him this, he smiled and laughed. He said, 'You misunderstood me. I cannot come back to lead you. That does not mean that I cannot help you.'

"I watched, transfixed, as he pulled a crystal from a compartment in his chest. The crystal was one of the most beautiful things that I've even seen. It glowed seemingly on its own, a rich blue.

"He told me what it was, and how it would lead me to the mech that would reunite and lead our race.

"I followed his instructions to an unobtrusive worker mech. The crystal vibrated with tremendous power, wishing to be closer to the mech. At my coaxing he took the crystal and placed it in his chest.

"I watched that small worker mech transform in front of my very optics into a powerful warrior, a leader that all would respect.

"That leader became known as Prima, and when he died that crystal-the Matrix, as it is now called-was passed on to the next Prime and so on and so forth.

"I've been doing this for a long time, Optimus. The Matrix is never wrong. It has chosen you. And no one else."

Optimus Prime stood in shocked silence as Alpha Trion turned to leave his ruined laboratory. Just as the ancient mech reached the automatic door he managed to blurt out one niggling question. "Who was the first leader? The one that brought you freedom and gave you the Matrix?"

Trion chuckled, "That's a secret I'm going to keep to myself. For now." And he left the new Prime to his own thoughts.

* * *

I don't really know the point of this bunny. Maybe it's to finally answer one of the questions that's always bugged me about G1. I mean, Primus is supposed to be a singularity among the multi-verse, but in G1 the Cybertronians were created by Quintessons. So where was Primus? Did he just let his creations be enslaved by an alien race? Did he not know? Maybe he had a role in the Cybertronians gaining their freedom?

And where does Optimus's trailer go when he transforms?

I don't know, it's really all speculation. But in this story, the first leader mech dude is supposed to be Primus so in my mind he 'created' Cybertronian civilization even if he didn't create the Cybertronians themselves.

Anyway, I've written enough insanely long Author's Notes today. Please review!


End file.
